Improvement in life-preservers or buoyant dresses



NTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUFUS PORTER, OF BILLERIOA, MASSACHUSETTS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. l ,(ii), dated May 25,1840.

To a/Z whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUFUS PORTER, of Billerica, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulBuoyant Dress; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full andexact description thereof.

A garment A A A, similar to pantaloons, with boots B B attached, andlong enough to extend from the feet to the arms ofthe wearer,

is made of water-proof cloth, and has shoulder-straps C C attached tothe top. The body of this garment near the top is encircled by sixair-chambers, each of which is made of Water-proof cloth, in a curvedform, extending from the back to the front ot the garment, being threeon each side and arranged one above another, as represented at D D D,Figure 2. These air-chambers are inclosed by acircular casing E E, madeot the same material, one edge ot which is firmly attached to the top ofthe garment, and the other edge is also attached to the garment byawater-tight seam ten inches below the rst, thus enveloping and securingthe chambers. From the front end of each chamber a small elastic ormetallic tube projects upward, passing through the envelope, andterminates in a small metallic pipe F. Each pipe is furnished with aValve or a stopper by which the escape of air from the chambers isprevented.

To each leg of the garment, about six inches above the foot, is attacheda circular tin G G, which consists of a circular piece of clothsupported by a frame similar to that of an umbrella, which admits of itsexpansion upward or contraction downward, the rods of the frame beingrestricted in their motion upward by lines or cords extending from therods to the foot, as shown in Fig. 3. These [ins are intended to enablethe person wearing the apparatus to propel himself forward.

Fig. 2 is a front sectional outline of the garment A with the fins B,the` envelope O, and chambers D.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. Making the buoyant circle in several separate air-tight chambers,each provided with a tube for in tlating, as described.

2. The circular fins or paddles, in combination with the water-proofgarment, as described.

RUFUs PORTER.

Witnesses:

LUTHER A. TABER, S. FREDERICK PORTER.

